Bracket for automobile robe rails



v Aug. 15, 1939 A. CLAUD-MANTLE BRACKET FOR AUTOMOBILE ROBE RAILS FiledJune 3, 1938 2 SheetS -Sheet l INVEN TOR. ARTHUR ELAum-MANTLE;

A TTORNEY Aug. 15, 1939 A. CLAUD-MANTLE 2,169,920

BRACKET FOR AUTOMOBILE ROBE RAILS Fi1ed June s, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINV EN TOR. ARTHUR Emun-Mmna A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 15, 193 9 i I I i UNITE STATES i ATENT QFFHIE BRACKET FORAUTOMOBILE ROBE RAILS Arthur Gland-Mantle, Trumbull, C'onn., assignor toThe Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of ConnecticutApplication June 3, 1938, Serial No. 211,480

6 Claims. (01. 24123) The present invention relates to a bracket forwill be hereinafter more fully described with automobile robe rail,particularly of the type in reference thereto, and the invention will befinally which a non-elastic cord is resiliently mounted at pointed outin the claims. its ends, a bracket of this type being disclosed In thedrawings:

' in my patent for Automobile robe support and Fig. 1 is a frontelevation of the bracket ac- 5* bracket therefor, No. 2,031,496, grantedFebrucording to the illustrated exemplary embodiment ary 18, 1936. It isan object of the present inof the invention, and showing the sameattached vention to provide a bracket which is especially to the seatback with the end of the robe sup- I adapted for connection with a roberail cord of porting cord engaged therein. PO flat cross-section, asdistinguished from a cord Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the1'0 of circular cross-section. It is a further object bracket and'cordassembledwith'the automobile to provide a bracket substantially flushwith the body structure, being taken along the line 22 automobilestructure, so that the cord and the of Fig. 1. exposed part of thebracket will present .a mini- Fig. 3 is an front elevation of the springsup- 155? mum projection upon the automobile structure porting part ofthe bracket attached to the seat thereby greatly reducing the chance ofinjury to back, the robe supporting cord and escut'cheon an occupant ofthe car in the event that such plate being removed.

Occupant s forcibly 'OWH against the bracket- Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view taken along In the event of such an accident the roberail the line 44 of Fig. 2. 2o cord will be disposed in such relation tothe Fi 5 is a perspective view showing the end of bracket as to p ov dea Cush o and b e a st the robe cord and the clip therefor, the lattercontact with the metal part of the bracket. being in its condition priorto assembly with the A further object is to provide a bracket having r brd improved means for connecting the end of the Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsectional View of a robe rail cord, such means being disposed withinmodified form of the invention.

the body structure, but of such design that it Fig, '7 is a rearelevation, p

can be attached from the outside. A further Fig 8 i a Sectional e t kalong th li object is to provide as one embodiment of the 8 8 f Fi 6,

inve an improved p means Connected to Similar reference charactersindicate correthe end of the robe rail cord and cooperating withsponding parts throughout the several figures of 3b a metal ribbon likecore provided in the cord to the drawings. positively 100k thev p ainstdisplacement Referring to the drawings the robe rail bracket, throughlongitudinal pull on the cord, and furaccording to the exemplaryillustrated embodit r t p v s p a s which may ment of the invention"shown therein; isadapted 3 5 easily and reliably connected'to the springmeans. to be mounted upon the front'seat back H), which A furt e je isto Provide Spring means in is formed of sheet metal and is covered witha t e o of a Spring member W h s not in covering of upholstery materialII,' the drawing surrounding relation t the 60rd, and therefore showingone end portion of the seat back which can be of a size and strengthentirely independis curved'toward its ends, it being understood that 4dent of the cross-section of the cord, as distinthe other end portion is"of similar but reversed 40" guished from a helical type of springdisposed form; 7 about the cord and which much have an interior For thepurpose of attaching the bracket, the diameter larger than the greatesttransverse diseat back is provided with'a rectangular hole l2,

mension of the cord, and which in the case of a clinch nuts l3 and I4being provided in the seat 4'5 flat relatively wide cord wouldnecessitate an back along the center line of the hole [2, the 455'unusually large diameter spring. clinch nut l3' being adjacent the inneredge'of Astill further object is to provide an escutcheon the hole I2and the clinch nut' l4 being subplate adapted to interlock with thespring supstantially spaced from the outer edge, these clinch portingpart of the bracket in such a way as to nuts being for the respectiveattachment of the conceal the attaching portion and screw of the springsupporting member and the escutcheon 50 spring supporting part, andwhich escutcheon plate, as will presently more fully appear. plate isadapted to be attachedbya single screw. The spring supporting memberconsists of a With the above and other objects in View, em-' sheet metalplate It, slightly narrower than the bodiments of the invention areshown in the width of the hole l2, so that it may be inserted 5'5accompanying drawings, and these embodiments therein, and provided atitsouter end with an outwardly offset attaching portion I6, having acountersunk screw hole II therein, and which is engaged upon the outerside of the seat back adjacent the inner edge of the hole I2 and securedby a screw I8 engaged in the clinch nut I3. The attaching portion I6 isprovided with an outwardly offset lip I9 for interlocking engagement ofthe escutcheon plate as will hereinafter more fully appear. A pair ofinwardly bent retaining lugs I6 -I6 are lanced and bent from the portionI6 near its side edges and these are adapted to engage the seat back atthe inner side to retain the spring supporting member while the screw I8is being secured.

The member I is curved inwardly and extends at its inner end to a pointspaced from the inner surface of the seat back for a substantialdistance beyond the outer edge of the hole I2. At one edge of the memberI5 there is provided an inwardly bent spring supporting bracket portion29, having its inner portion transversely offset by means of a bend 2Iand provided with a T-shaped lug 22 lanced and bent therefrom, and whichlug is adapted to have the angularly bent end 23 of the spiral spring 24interlockingly engaged and supported thereon. As is evident from Fig. 2,the length of the lug 22 is no greater than the diameter of the innercoil of the spring so that the spring may be first loosely engaged, withthe lug 22 the lug passing through the central opening of the springadjacent and parallel to the spring at its end, to which the end clip ofthe cord is 'providing a slide support for the robe rail clip,

'with a rim flange 32 and has an opening 33 end 23, the spring beingthen interlocked with the lug by swinging the spring to the left aboutthe upper end of the lug engaged by the bend of the end portion 23causing said bend to engage one end of the lug 22 while the other end ofthe lug is engaged by the inner surface of the inner coil to the rightof the end 23. The outer end of the spring extends through a slot 25 inthe member I5 and is provided with a hook 26 adapted to be connected, aswill presently more fully appear, the outer end of the slot 25 acting asa stop to limit the expansion of the spring in cord pulling direction.

The member I5 is provided at the opposite edge from the bracket portion20 with a finger portion 21 bent in the opposite direction from saidbracket portion 26, and which extends through the hole I2 in the seatback for the purpose of engaging the imier surface of the escutcheonplate to act as a rigid supporting strut for the member I5, as Willhereinafter more fully appear. The inner end of the member I5 issubstantially narrower than the outer end for the purpose of and stopshoulders 28 and 29 are provided at the end of this narrow inner endportion to limit the movement of the robe rail clip when the robe railis drawn outwardly against the spring, the shoulder 28 being formed bylancing and bending outwardly a lug portion 30 from the bracket portion20, and the shoulder 29 being formed as a continuation of one edge ofthe finger 21.

The escutcheon plate member 3| is provided formed therein ofsubstantially rectangular form, and which extends diagonally through theplate, the portion of the plate adjacent the inner edge of this openingbeing recessed as at 34 for this purpose, and the outer and side edgesbeing provided with an inwardly curled flange 35, the re cessed portion34 forming a diagonally disposed slide bearing for the under surface ofthe cord, while the curled flange 35 provides a bearing surface for theouter surface. At the inner end of the escutcheon plate there isprovided an inwardly bent flange 36 which interlockingly engages beneaththe lip I9 of the spring supporting member, so that the inner end of theescutcheon plate encloses and conceals the attaching portion I6 and thescrew I8 of the spring supporting member. The outer end of theescutcheon plate is provided with a countersunk screw hole 31 in which ascrew 38 is engaged and screwed into the clinch nut I4, the interlockingconnection of the flange 36 with the lip I9 and the securing of thescrew 38 rigidly connecting the escutcheon plate to the seat back. Inthis rigidly connected relation the finger 2'I rigidly supports thespring sup-- porting member through its engagement by the inner surfaceof the escutcheon plate.

The robe cord,which is of flattened cross-section consists of an innercore 39, in the form of a fiat ribbon-dike strip of steel, and overwhich there is engaged a sleeve 46 of rubber, the outer fabric covering4I being engaged or woven about the sleeve 40. The clip which is securedto the end of the cord for the purpose of providing a connection withthe spring consists of a plate 42 having a lug 43 lanced therefrom toprovide a slot 44, there being bendable ears 45 and 46 at each side ofthe lug 43 respectively provided in their end edges with notches 41 and48. The plate 42 is provided at its outer end with a pair of fingers 49and 50 bent at right angles to the plate and which are adapted toposition and guide the clip upon the spring supporting member I5 and tocooperate with the stop shoulders 28 and 29 to limit the outward pull ofthe cord, as will presently more fully appear.

The strip is attached to the end of the cord by first providing a hole5I through the cord near its end and which hole extends through themetal strip 39. The lug 43 is engaged through this hole and thereuponthe ears 45 and 46 are bent into clinching relation about the end of thecord with the notches 41 and 48 engaging the lug. The lug is then bentdownwardly upon the cars 45 and 46 and thus the clip is securelyconnected to the cord, the lug being interlocked with the metal strip 39and further being interlocked with the ears 45 and 46 of the clip, sothat longitudinal pull upon the cord will not cause the clip to loosen.

The cord and clip are connected to the bracket by engaging the end 26 ofthe spring with the slot 44 of the clip, the fingers 49 and. 50 beingdisposed in sliding engagement at each side of the narrow inner endportion of the spring supporting member I5. Normally the cord will beunder tension in which case the spring end will be out of engagementwith the outer end of the slot 25, it being understood that the cord issupported at its other end in a similar manner or by a fixed bracket.Outward pull upon the cord will cause the clip to tension the spring,this outward pull being limited by abutment of the fingers 49 and 59with the shoulders 28 and 29.

The assembly of the cord with the bracket is conveniently carried out byfirst threading the escutcheon plate on the cord prior to attachment ofthe escutcheon plate, and thereupon engaging the clip through the holeI2 and connecting it with the hook end 26 of the spring, this being moreeasily accomplished with the escutcheon plate unattached so that thehole I2 is entirely exposed. When the cord is thus secured theescutcheon plate is fixed in place by first engaging the flange 36beneath the lip I9 and then securing the other end by means of thesingle screw 38. The bracket cord and clip may be assembled beforeattachment to the body structure, the assembled parts being insertedthrough the hole l2, and then fitted in place by engagement of the lugsl6 with the seat back at the inner edge of the hole l2. The screw I8 isthen secured and the escutcheon plate which has been threaded on thecord before assembly of the bracket is positioned and secured by thescrew 38.

In Figs. 6 to 8 I have illustrated a modified form of invention which issubstantially similar to the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 5, exceptfor the arrangement of the spring, the spring in the present embodimentbeing arranged in a plane parallel to the spring supporting member asdistinguished from the spring 24 which is arranged in a plane at rightangles of the spring supporting member.

The spring supporting member I5 is provided along the side edges of itsinwardly extending portion with forwardly bent flanges 5252 which areprovided with extension portions 53 which extend through the hole l2 inthe seat back and engage the inner surface of the escutcheon plate 3| torigidly support the spring supporting member in a similar manner to thefinger portion 21' of the first embodiment. A longitudinal slot 5 3 isprovided centrally of the member 15 through which the robe cord clip hassliding engagement, as will presently more fully appear. In outwardlyspaced relation to the outward end of this slot there is provided aninwardly embossed spring connecting portion 55 having a passage 56therethrough. in which the hooked end 51 of the spiral spring 58 isengaged and retained, the other hooked end 59 of this spring beingadapted tobe engaged with the robe cord clip.

The robe cord 60 illustrated in this embodiment is of flatcross-section, but is not provided with a metal core as in the case ofthe robe cord. illustrated in the first embodiment. It is formed ofsponge rubber encased in fabric and the clip is clamped to its. end,this clip 6! being in the form of a U-shaped member embracing the end ofthe cord and having inwardly bent toothed flanges 62 and 63 which biteinto and secure the clip to: the end of the cord. The lower side of theclip is provided at its ends with inwardly bent end portions. 64 and 65which engage and confine the side edges of the cord, and is providedcentrally with a slot 66 in which is engaged a lug member 61 formed bybending a strip of sheet metal upon itself, and which lug member is bentoutwardly, as at 68, within the clip to secure it in place. The lugmember is adapted to slidably engage the slot 54 and a hole 69 isprovided therein at the rearward side of the member [5 through which thehooked end 59 of the spring 58 is engaged, the engagement of the springwith the clip 'retaining the clip in place. 7

The spring exerts inward pull on the cord, being limited in itsexpansion by engagement of the clip with one end of the slot 54, and theoutward pull on the cord being limited by engagethen fastening the screwl8. When the screw I8 is fastened the escutcheon plate is fitted inplace and secured by fastening of the screw 38.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodimentsof the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be'made Itherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as

defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a bracket for an automobile robe rail cord or the like forattachment to an automobile body structure or the like, said bodystructure having an opening therein, .a spring mounting member having asecuring end portion adapted to be engaged with said body structure atone side of said opening and extending within said body structure,securing means directly securing said mount ing member to said. bodystructure, a spring mounted upon said spring mounting member, a roberail cord extending through said opening to the interior of said bodystructure along a line removed from the central axis of said spring, aclip member secured to the end of said cord and removably engaged bythe'end of said spring, said spring adapted to exert inward pull uponsaid cord, stop means on said spring mounting member for limiting themovement of said spring in cord pulling direction, and stop means onsaid spring mounting member for limiting the outward movement of saidcord, an escutcheon plate member adapted to engage said body structureopening and having a cord engaging opening through which said cordextends and securing means for directly securing said escutcheon platemember to said body structure independently of said first securingmeans.

2. In a bracket for an automobile robe rail cord or the like forattachment to an automobile body structure or the like, said bodystructure having an opening therein, a spring mounting member adapted tobe secured to said body structure at one side of said opening comprisinga cord supporting portion extending from said side of said openingdiagonally within said body structure and having a slot and a springmounting bracket portion extending inwardly from said cord supportingportion, a spiral spring having one end mounted upon said bracketportion and at its other end engaged in said slot and limited in itsexpanding movement by engagement with one end of said slot, a robe railcord extending through said opening to the interior of said bodystructure, a clip' member secured to the end of said cord and slidablyengaging said cord mounting portion and having means engaged by saidother end of said spring, said spring adapted to exert inward pull uponsaid cord.

3. In a bracket for an automobile robe rail cord or the like forattachment to an automobile body structure or the like, said bodystructure having an opening therein, a spring mounting member adapted tobe secured at one end to said body structure at one side of said openingand extending within said body structure, a spring mounted upon saidspring mounting member, a robe rail cord extending through said openingits other end being unsecured to the interior of said body structure, aclip member secured to the end of said cord and removably engaged by theend of said spring, said spring adapted to exert inward pull upon saidcord, stop means on said spring mounting member for limiting themovement of said spring in cord pulling direction, stop means on saidspring mounting member for limiting the outward movement of said cord,an escutcheon plate member having a cord engaging opening and secured tothe outer side of said body structure, and means on said spring mountingmember extending through said opening in said body structure andengaging said escutcheon plate member at its inner side to space theinner end of said spring mounting member from the inner surface of saidbody structure.

4. In a bracket for an automobile robe rail cord or the like forattachment to an automobile body structure or the like, said bodystructure having an opening therein, a spring mounting member having asecuring portion adapted to be secured to said body structure at itsouter side at one side of said opening and a portion extending throughsaid opening to the interior of said body structure, said securingportion having an outwardly offset lip, a spring mounted upon saidspring mounting member, a robe rail cord extending through said openingto the interior of said body structure, a clip member secured to the endof said cord and removably engaged by the end of said spring, saidspring adapted to exert inward pull upon said cord, stop means on saidspring mounting member for limiting the movement of said spring in cordpulling direction, stop means on said spring mounting member forlimiting the outward movement of said cord, an escutcheon plate having acord receiving opening and provided at one end with an inwardly bent lipadapted to be interlockingly engaged with said lip of said springmounting member, and means for securing the other end of said escutcheonplate to said body structure at the other side of said body structureopening, said escutcheon plate being detachable from said body structureindependently of said spring mounting member.

5. In a bracket for an automobile robe rail cord or the like forattachment to an automobile body structure or the like, said bodystructure having an opening therein, a spring mounting member adapted tobe secured to said body structure at one side of said opening andextending within said body structure, a spring mounted upon said springmounting member, a robe rail cord comprising a metal core and a sleevesurrounding said core, there being a hole near the end. of said cordextending through said metal core, a clip member engaged about said endof said cord and having means extending through said hole tointerlockingly secure said clip member to said core, said clip memberbeing engaged by the end of said spring, said spring adapted to exertinward pull upon said cord through said clip and metal core.

6. In a bracket for an automobile robe rail cord or the like forattachment to an automobile body structure or the like, said bodystructure having an opening therein, a spring mounting member adapted tobe secured to said body structure at one side of said opening andextending within said body structure, a spring mounted upon said springmounting member, a robe rail cord of flat cross-section comprising aflat ribbon-like metal core and a sleeve surrounding said core, therebeing a hole near the end of said cord extending through said metalcore, a clip member engaged about said end of said cord and having meansextending through said hole to interlockingly secure said clip member tosaid core, said clip member being engaged by the end of said spring,said spring adapted to exert inward pull upon ARTHUR CLAUD-MANTLE.

